Dad Sneakers? Grandma Shoes? The Scoop On The Ugly Shoe Trend
Here’s what the Ugly Shoe trend says about Millennials and Gen Z.
There’s something about this close-up photo that makes me want to hold the phone screen to my nose and sniff for that new sneaker smell.
Off-White c/o, Virgil Abloh, is just one of the many “streetwear designers” giving trends, like pretty-ugly, a constant presence in luxury fashion.
“Streetwear lived and it died.” — Virgil Abloh
Abloh, was asked in an interview, “what stage of streetwear’s life cycle are we at right now?” The interviewer, Straatosphere’s Hana Kim, was referencing Abloh’s statement, “streetwear lived and it died.”
Abloh responds by positioning streetwear as having a sort of commercial viability that it didn’t have before. The Off-White c/o takes it further by saying, “Now is a moment to make its impact last forever in the timeline of high fashion.”
Commercially, streetwear styling continues to be successful in mainstream retail. And if consumers continue to fearlessly play with these streetwear styles, ‘pretty-ugly’ could be here to stay for a while.
But what exactly is commercial viability?
Commercial viability means “streetwear fashion” could rake in a lot of profit for retailers and big brands.
The trickle-up model is in full swing. Not only is it popular in places like Target, but it’s also very much on the runway, and has been for some time now. The phenomenon perhaps continues because of the push from brands like Off-White, Pyer Moss, and Yeezy.
Of course, these labels are just the ones that are more likely to be recognized by the general public. Exceeding those three brands are prolific designers, who are deep-seated in streetwear culture.
To name a few, the icon Japanese streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara and Avant-garde designer Yohji Yamamoto. And of course, there’s Erik Brunetti, whose brand FUCT just recently won it’s Supreme Court Case for the right to use “profanity” in its trademark name.
But what’s interesting about today’s approach to streetwear is the endeavor to take it from unique to standard. I hesitatingly say true streetwear could never be standardized. Streetwear culture is birthed by the individual.
Many would argue streetwear is not about a singular trend or even fashion at all. That it’s always been a way of styling or being, that it’s about culture.
The ability for a streetwear brand to be commercially successful, with an out-the-gate adoption rate by the mass public, does say something about its future within the industry, however.
But it also means streetwear itself no longer exclusively exists on the fringes, as it were.
Perhaps in time, “ugly-pretty” and other details will become singular trends, completely abstract from the origins of true streetwear. Maybe that’s what’s already happened.
For now, though, people are enjoying the “obscene” and dabbling in streetwear culture. Consumers want the whole outfit to be of their creation, so brands are giving them the pieces to work with.
For example, I don’t go to the store and say Black and Navy Blue clothing doesn’t go together. It’s not about the old rules of chic for me.
What I look for are the unique qualities of each piece, and then collectively ask what are they are saying when joined together?
Fashion as we knew it has been said (numerous times) to be dead. I agree. I also believe the defeat of fast-fashion is just around the corner as well. All of which means there will be only new beginnings ahead for the industry as a whole. And I think within streetwear-culture lies a clue to what tomorrow’s fashion industry could look like.
Reflecting back on Ablohs’ interview, there’s a line that really resonates with me, “For me, the gratification comes from doing more innovative projects rather than reflecting on the past.”
(And yes this is an interesting remark coming from Abloh, who has been accused of copying other designers.) The statement holds true; nevertheless, when scrutinizing streetwear through the context of fashion.
Innovation is key.
So much of fashion is created within a repeating cycle but streetwear can cut it up and piece it together in a way that communicates a different kind of story and a feeling that’s bigger than, for lack of a better word, capitalism.
True streetwear has never been about finding trends that will conform and thus be readily acceptable by society. Being a fashion industry “cash-cow” is not what true streetwear-culture is about.
But we haven’t answered the question —
“How, or rather why, is Ugly-Pretty even a thing? Why are so many people on-board? I mean have you seen the shoes they’re hideous.”
Here’s my guess. Just a shot in the dark here —
I sense a growing number of individuals no longer want to be conditioned on what should be seen as fashionable.
Beauty standards are breaking down.
In fact, it goes further than fashion. Just like sustainability isn’t a buzzword anymore, but a necessity.
How we view clothing and dress is transitioning. We’re eco-conscious. We think about where we spend our money, the systems behind the brands we love, and the global impact of our decisions. We want to see more size and body inclusive designs.
Just look at the cosmetics industry and the blow-up of “make-up for every skin tone.”
“So, in addition to the comfort and utilitarian value of these shoes, perhaps it is the desire for attention that motivates wearers.”
Only I think it’s something more than just ‘attention for the sake of vanity’. It’s a statement that’s saying, I’m not a rebel without a cause, I’m a rebel with a cause. I’m not just a bystander.
I’m no longer unwittingly going to participate in oppressive societal structures —
Streetwear reflects this. Ugly shoes reflect this.
“I don’t care to be your kind of beautiful.”
That’s the consensus of 2020.
The entanglement between political climate, environmental issues, and fashion is biting —
Millennials and Generation Z, no longer want to be blind consumers or citizens. We want unity, with that said, being different isn’t bad, it’s desirable.
We want the entire world to know that we’re against conformity and oppression and that the world should be against it too.
